MirrorU

Directed by Andrei Tarkovsky | Soviet Union | 1975 | 1h 47m | Russian w/ English subtitles | Starring Margarita Terekhova, Filipp Yankovskiy, Nikolay Grinko, Anatoliy Solonitsyn, Ignat Daniltsev

In 20th-century Russia, a poet relives his past in the fading moments of consciousness. His memories unfold through vivid visions of childhood, wartime, and married life, blending personal moments with the broader sweep of Soviet history and the quiet beauty of everyday existence. Using a nonlinear structure rich with dreams and flashbacks, director Andrei Tarkovsky crafts a deeply personal meditation on war, memory, and time, drawing inspiration from his own experiences.

Join us on Sunday 25th May (3pm) for a screening introduced by Ally Pitts, host of A Russian & Soviet Movie Podcast (since 2017).

Reviews

‘Visually stunning, baffling and intensely personal, the result is also impossibly ambiguous – but stick with it. Cinema rarely gets this close to poetry in motion.’
★★★★
Jonathan Crocker, BBC

‘The Mirror deserves a big-screen viewing, with its smorgasbord of memories in dream, drama and newsreel form from the life of a dying poet.’
★★★★
Kate Muir, The Times

Sorry - you missed it!

We showed Mirror between May 25, 2025 and May 26, 2025.

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What else is on?

Today (Tuesday 24th February)

20:45

Breathless 12A
£6 for members
1h 30m | French w/ English subtitles
After killing a policeman, a reckless thief hides out in Paris with his American girlfriend, plotting escape. Jean-Luc Godard’s electrifying debut shattered conventions, launched the French New Wave, and remains a defining statement of cinematic cool.

Book here


Tomorrow (Wednesday 25th February)

15:00

Ben Wheatley Filmmaking Workshop /
Are you aged 16-25, have an amazing idea for a film, but don't have the budget? Join us to hear from some young BFI Film Academy funded filmmakers, as well as special guest speaker Ben Wheatley. Tickets cost £5 (and includes entry to our Q&A screening of Bulk).

Book here

18:00

Bulk 15
+ Director Q&A
1h 35m + 30m Q&A
When an ambitious scientist takes his string theory experiments too far, his “brane” explodes, and someone is left to deal with the consequences. Join us for a one-off screening of Ben Wheatley’s mind-bending sci-fi thriller, and a playful love letter to filmmaking.

Book here

20:45

Nouvelle Vague 12A
1h 46m | French w/ English subtitles
Paris, 1959. Aspiring filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard sets out to make Breathless, unknowingly igniting a cinematic revolution. Directed by Richard Linklater (Boyhood), this lively, affectionate comedy-drama captures the birth of the French New Wave.

Book here


Plan your visit

Our beautiful art deco inspired auditorium can be found just off East Oxford's Cowley Road.We are open 7 days a week. We open the cinema and box office 30 minutes before the scheduled start time of each film, and the Box Office then closes 10 minutes after the film starts. We only show a few adverts – less than most cinemas – and we only play a couple of trailers, so please don’t be late as the film itself starts very close to the advertised time!